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'Living in labour camp, putting up a festival in 24 hours': How UAE women leaders broke barriers
Women trailblazers across industries shared tales of grit and determination at the We The Women conference held in Dubai
Delegates at 'We the Women' conference organised by Khaleej Times in Dubai on Wednesday. Photos: Shihab
Suhaila Ghobash from Dubai Economy and Tourism’s DFRE once had to put together an extensive festival in just 24 hours while curatorial assistant Mariam AlDhaheri spent a month living in a labour camp in a remote corner of the UAE while excavating a site. These were just some of the examples of the incredible grit and determination displayed by women that were shared at We the Women conference organised by Khaleej Times.
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Women from various walks of life related how they stepped out of their comfort zones and overcame obstacles to achieve success at the event held at Address Sky View on Wednesday.
“My director general was just stepping on a plane to go to the US when he called me and said we have to organise a festival in just 24 hours,” said Suhaila, who is the Vice President of Events and Outdoor Festival at DFRE. “I had to remain calm because otherwise my team would have also panicked. We pulled all stops and put up the festival — which was a celebration for the Saudi Arabia national day in 2019 — within the deadline 24 hours as promised.”
Suhaila Ghobash
Suhaila, who has spearheaded some of the biggest festivals in the city like Dubai Summer Surprises and Dubai Fitness Challenge, was sharing a sneak peek of the life behind-the-scenes organising these events.
She said that what kept her going was the feedback she received from people. “Whenever people say wow, Dubai has some of the best festivals, or when a youngster that you took a chance on and trusted them with some projects blossom and achieve something, it makes all my hard work seem worth it,” she said.
Living in a labour camp
Mariam AlDhaheri
Working as a curatorial assistant at Louvre Abu Dhabi, Mariam AlDhaheri has had her fair share of challenges. However, one of the most memorable one was a month she spent excavating in a remote corner of Marawah Island in Abu Dhabi, where she lived in a labour camp with just one other female excavator.
“We lived in a quarters that was meant for pilots a little away from the labour camp,” she recalled. “It had no curtains. It was quite challenging in terms of our natural environment and what we're used to. But it was also a very touching experience. Our meals were all shared with the labourers. They had the best karak and the best food. We built bonds with those men over the one month we stayed there. They would catch fresh fish from the sea and make food for us out of it.”
That excavation went on to provide artefacts that painted a comprehensive picture of life in the UAE around 8,000 years ago. The stone-built houses that were discovered are the earliest examples of such architecture discovered in the Arabian Gulf.
Paving the way for other women
Hana Al Nabulsi
Another panelist, Hana Al Nabulsi who is the first Emirati to qualify and compete in the 2022 Asian games, attributed her success to never taking no as an answer. “Once, there was a race in Egypt that I wanted to compete in,” she recalled. “It was the last race of the season and I was trying to qualify for the Olympics. But the airport shut down and there was no way for me to get there. But I sat in the airport for 17 hours and finally arrived in Egypt on the day of the race.”
She said that after all the stress of trying to get there, she was hesitant about performing well in the race. However, she went on to put up her best performance in that race, setting a personal best.
She admitted that several times she came close to giving up. “In most of the races, I am the only Arab and that puts a lot of pressure on you,” she said. “With the pressure comes doubts. Apart from one month a year, at one point, I was racing every weekend. I barely saw my family and it really took a toll on me. I took some time off and spent with my family and my sister and I didn’t want to go back. Then I got a message from my coach saying, take the time you want but when you are done, we have to go back to training.”
A performance by Emirati singer Not-So-Human at the conference.
Hana said that what kept her going was the thought of paving way for the women who come after her. “I am one of the very few Emirati women in triathlons,” she said. “For me, I am paving the pathway and figuring it all out so that when the next generation comes, there is a road that is already built. There is a 13-year-old Emirati girl called Asma. She is an amazing athlete and I am hoping that the troubles I go through will make her way easier.”
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Nasreen Abdulla
Nasreen Abdulla is a Special Correspondent covering food, tech and human interest stories. When not challenged by deadlines, you’ll find her pulling off submissions on the jiu jitsu mats.
nasreen@khaleejtimes.com 
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